Most of my previous columns have been about following trends in a way that pertains to dressing at Choate; but in my last column I would like to address an issue that I have always felt particularly passionate about: shopping online. While shopping online is a convenient alternative to going to stores—especially for boarders—is it actually the best way to fill your closet?

Contrary to popular belief, shopping online can be more limiting than going into a store. When you shop online, you are restricting yourself to buying from only the major brands that sell online.  This increases your chances of buying things that everyone already owns. How many people have you seen wear the same top you just bought on shopbop? Over the years I have learned to never buy something unless I absolutely love it. While sometimes I fall into a trap of really liking only a few items of clothing at a time, at least I don’t have pieces sitting there because I just really needed a skirt so I ordered one online and ended up only wearing it twice. While there are staples to every wardrobe, the majority of the things you own should be special because you love them and because you picked them out yourself, not because you ordered something last minute out of necessity or you received an e-mail from a web site titled “You Need This.” Yes, some stores actually do that. Buying new clothes should be a process that you get to enjoy, not just another click of your mouse.

The most important piece of fashion advice I will ever be able to give is to take everything I have said with skepticism. Fashion is about creating an image for yourself that you want to express, and no one can create that better than you.

Best Dressed: The Class of 2010